by Belle Grewatz
Over the course of just twelve days, every county in Hawaii was affected by back-to-back Kona Low storms. Some locations received more than thirty inches of rain, saturating the ground and leading to flash floods, landslides, and a near-overtopping of the Wahiawā Dam on Oʻahu, which forced a mandatory evacuation. In the days that followed, more than 230 people were rescued, and nearly 5,500 residents who experienced power outages had to evacuate. With countless families affected by this historic flooding, Hawaii Governor Josh Green submitted a formal request for a Major Disaster Declaration to support statewide recovery efforts.
Many ohanas, especially those on Maui and Oʻahu, lost nearly everything, from their homes to their livelihoods, because of the flooding. In the early morning of Friday, March 20th, two feet of water covered First Baptist Church of Haleiwa’s property and filled its buildings. Pastor Mike Procter recalled, “A neighbor of sixty years indicated that they have never seen flooding like this.” He continued, “As the flood waters receded, a damage assessment revealed that the flooring was destroyed, sheetrock would need to be removed, the sound system and several electrical instruments were ‘fried,’ a portion of the wall was pushed out, and furniture and a myriad of paperwork were destroyed.” To further complicate their situation, they were dealing with power outages, as were most of the North Shore. Yet even in the midst of overwhelming circumstances, Pastor Procter shared about the Lord’s provision and perfect timing.
He recalled how the small congregation of First Baptist Church of Haleiwa, averaging about 30 people on a Sunday morning, was met with an outpouring of generosity from Southern Baptist congregations and volunteers across Hawaii. “Assurances of prayer support were being called, texted, and emailed in,” said Pastor Procter. Moreover, donations were sent to the church, and the community provided meals for the volunteers.
On Thursday, March 19th, the day before the flooding, a Spring Break Day camp had ended, and a missions team from Alaska was still at the Church. In the true spirit of Aloha and sharing the love of Jesus, North Shore residents opened their homes to the team. Pastor Procter also recounted that new chairs ordered for the church had been delayed in shipping. If they had arrived on time, they would have been destroyed. In the moments following the flood, the church and its volunteers were able not only to see the Lord’s provision but also the grace in His perfect timing.
The church ohana has since been able to gather for worship on Easter Sunday, after two weeks of not being able to use their auditorium. With great gratitude, they are confident that God has been — and will continue to be — doing a great work in this season of their ministry. Meanwhile, relief efforts continue to support the North Shore community.
From the first days of the floods, Hawaii Pacific Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) directors John and Gay Williams have been on the North Shore with other Hawaii Pacific Baptist DR volunteers and agencies as “Navigators.” They met with flood survivors as they arrived, listened to their needs, and personally guided them to the agencies and services that could support them. They have also led assessments before volunteers enter homes, helping homeowners through mud-out and mold remediation as families work to reclaim their lives.
As soon as possible, John and Gay called in a specialized team of twelve Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers from New Mexico. This team worked alongside John Williams and Michael Fujimoto on the North Shore to perform mud-out and mold remediation. Gay Williams shared, “Our team is not just there to clean up, but to share the love of Jesus. As we help families in moments of great need, we earn the right to share about Jesus.” The HPBC Disaster Relief team goes beyond meeting material needs to intentionally create space for Gospel-centered conversations, as they continue to serve and share Christ’s love with the community. John Williams noted that there are still between 75 to 100 requests for assistance. The HPBC Disaster Relief team will continue to serve these families and will likely be the last group to leave when others have moved on. As families rebuild, Gospel conversations continue, and the door remains open for the love of Christ to take root in the North Shore community.
The Community Assistance Center with (center) John Williams, co-director of Hawaii Pacific Baptist Disaster Relief, and (right) Ikaika Higa, pastor of Hamama Community Church.